This Is Your Brain on Drugs

Prescription, illicit, legal, homegrown, over-the-counter — drugs are part of our lives, for better or for worse. They help cure disease, quell a fever or just make you high. How well do you know your drugs? Take this quiz to find out.

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Question 1 of 20

You're taking this drug because it's a cheap alternative to cocaine or meth.

salvia

bath salts

Bath salts, a relatively new drug, contain chemicals similar to amphetamines. Some places sell them over-the-counter, making them extremely dangerous to young people.

LSD

Question 2 of 20

After taking this drug, you experience blue-tinged vision.

Ambien

Prozac

Viagra

One of the possible ocular side effects of higher doses of Viagra is blue-tinged vision.

Question 3 of 20

When you take this drug, the hallucinogenic effect you experience is due to a substance called psilocybin.

pot

mushrooms

Hallucinogenic mushrooms get their active ingredient from psilocybin, which affects the functioning of serotonin in the brain.

MDMA

Question 4 of 20

You can't stop grinding your teeth. What drug are you on?

ecstasy

One of the side effects of ecstasy (or MDMA) is bruxism, which is clenching or grinding your teeth.

salvia

weed

Question 5 of 20

You need to lower the levels of glucose in your blood. What drug are you on?

Avapro

aspirin

insulin

Insulin lowers the levels of glucose in the blood, a necessity for people with diabetes.

Question 6 of 20

If you are taking a pill that affects serotonin levels in your brain, you're on:

Celebrex

Lexapro

Lexapro is commonly used for anxiety and depression, and belongs to a class of drugs called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).

Levaquin

Question 7 of 20

You're wired and overstimulated, and your blood pressure is heightened. You just took some:

pot

mushrooms

cocaine

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that causes your blood vessels to constrict, causing your blood pressure and heart rate to rise, giving you that "rush."

Question 8 of 20

Miley Cyrus made headlines in 2010 when a video of her taking a hit of this drug hit YouTube.

salvia

Most people didn't even know what salvia was until Miley Cyrus made it famous. The salvia divinorum plant has hallucinogenic effects when smoked.